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I’ve been putting off writing this review because I just didn’t know what to say about the yarn. The very few words I do have to say about De Rerum Natura’s Gilliatt aren’t going to fill up much space; however, it is a yarn that I really want to share with you, so lets just crack on with the vital statistics.

Gilliatt doesn’t feel like any other merino that I’ve squished in the ball. It’s not as finely spun as other merino yarns I’ve encountered. The yarn looks plump, round, and woolly; and the ball rebounds as I squish it in my hand. It’s not super soft either. You aren’t going to pick this up and coo over it, but it is pleasant to the touch.

Swatch knitted of 4 mm needles after one wash.

I knitted two swatches with 4 and 5 mm needles, and ended up with a gauge of 18.5 stitches x 30 rows and 17 stitches x 26 rows over 10 cm. Both fabrics look great. This plump yarn expands out in to the space around it, so the fabric still looks full and opaque at a looser gauge. On smaller needles, the knitted fabric still has a nice movement to it. I wouldn’t say that either swatch has drape, but they do have a nice movement to them.

It’s worth mentioning that I didn’t experience any prickle factor while wearing my swatches. I’ve knitted the Furrow Hat with it, and haven’t experienced any prickling or itchiness against my forehead. I didn’t notice the swatch when tucked into my neckband either.

Swatch knitted on 5 mm needles after two washes and two weeks of armpit testing.

This is the bit where I run out of words for this yarn. I proceeded to the wear test, when the swatch gets tucked in to my bra at the armpit, and stays there for a few days. The 5 mm swatch spent a week in close proximity to my perspiring armpit – no change. So I washed it again, and tucked it in to my bra for another week, then hand washed it again. Still no change. Oh, sorry, it’s a teeny tiny bit softer. That is all.

So how would I describe this yarn? Stable. And that is something I like in a yarn. If you’re going to take the time to knit a garment, you really want it to maintain it’s looks for a long time. I think Gilliatt would. At £11 it’s a high quality mid-range yarn. I liked it a lot, and very badly want to make myself a garment with it.